A quick cup of coffee may be produced now-a-day by putting conventional instant, freeze dried coffee in a cup of hot water. This coffee typically comprises ground up crystals derived from a brew of the coffee; a spoonful of the crystals then being dissolved in the cup of hot water so as to form the beverage. However, persons who are fond of drinking coffee are aware that such instant coffee is generally not as tasty as slowly brewed coffee that is made directly from the coffee beans.
Additionally, some drinkers of slow brewed coffee prefer to add sweetener and cream to their coffee beverage. For such drinkers, there has been a desire to avoid the necessity of separately adding sugar and creamer to one's coffee beverage. For example, such persons would desire the convenience of a single serve infusion bag containing roasted ground coffee, sweetener and sugar. Such a bag would be placed in a cup of hot water for a time sufficient to allow the coffee to brew. Unfortunately, previous attempts at products containing a mixture of coffee, creamer and sugar particles within a porous bag have provided inferior beverages. Typically, the fat in the creamer, being a hydrophobic substance, will go into solution much less readily. The fat subsequently builds up and forms a film on the inside of the porous bag. This film tends to obstruct the pores in the bag, thereby retarding or preventing further flow of any remaining coffee, sugar and creamer to outside the bag. The consequence is incomplete extraction of coffee from the bag, resulting in a highly variable and generally weak flavored beverage.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for an infusion bag-type product useful for preparing an infusion beverage such as coffee, tea or the like, wherein the product comprises a creamer and a sweetener, yet the creamer does not hinder the flow of sweetener, creamer and extracted coffee/tea through the pores of the infusion bag.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an infusion product comprising a porous beverage packet of simple, inexpensive, unitary and compact character suitable for use in the preparation of a palatable beverage such as coffee, tea or the like wherein the subsequent addition of creamer and sweetener is unnecessary.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide such an infusion product comprising a porous beverage packet which contains creamer, sweetener and an infusible material such as coffee or tea, wherein the fat contained in the creamer does not obstruct the pores of the packet, thereby avoiding hindrance of the flow of sweetener, creamer and extracted coffee/tea through the pores of the packet.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for making such a beverage packet.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method for preparing a serving of a beverage such as coffee, tea or the like using such a beverage packet.
These and other objects of the present invention will become evident to those skilled in the art from a reading of the present disclosure with the appended claims.